


The 12 Days of Christmas (How The Professor Deals with Retirement)

by Lonelyfairy



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Erik is a Sweetheart, F/F, F/M, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-02-18 23:57:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2366711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonelyfairy/pseuds/Lonelyfairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just-retired Charles had too much free time and not enough things to do, so he convinced Erik to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with him. Erik agreed with a few conditions, simply because he had in mind a big surprise for Charles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. September 25

“Good morning, my dear, and Happy New Year.”

  
“Good morning, Schatz, and September isn’t even over yet, if you’d notice. Did your brain decide to retire along with you or something?” Erik glanced up from the newspaper as Charles wheeled himself into the kitchen.

  
“Well, it’s Rosh Hashanah today, according to Kitty. I thought it’s a New Year celebration.” Charles said with a sheepish smile.

  
“You know I stop celebrating anything long time ago, but thank you anyway. Now move yourself here and enjoy your breakfast before they got cold.”

 

 

When they had finally made their decision to retire from the school, they planned to do so right after the graduation ceremony; but by the time they actually did move out to the lovely house Hank built for them right by the lake at the other end of the Xavier’s property; summer was already leaving Westchester. They have been running the school together for over 3 decades now—over 5 for Charles himself—and everybody knew Charles wouldn’t really be retiring so long as he still lives in the mansion. And while neither the mansion itself nor the whole Xavier’s property hold any more sentimental value to Charles than the memories it held of the school, they knew it would be too hard for him to move away from it completely, so they have decided to build a retirement house for him—them, to be precise—here. Standing 15 minutes away from the mansion, the house was fully accessible for Charles’ wheelchair and has been decorated—or more like bombarded if one would ask for Erik’s opinion—with the whole content of Charles’ library from the mansion, yet another surprise gift from Hank and the rest of the staff, apart from the house itself.

  
They had moved in just a week ago and while he enjoyed every single moment he got to spend with his lover, even more so now without the presence of the students or the staff, Erik didn’t get used to such a domestic life still.

 

 

“Could you believe this, Erik, Ororo told me we’re not allowed to help with Christmas party this year. It seems the children have decided that retired staff members should only be allowed to join as guests.” Despite the telepath’s attempt to say it matter-of-factually, Erik didn’t even need to look up to know he was most probably pouting. If there was any trait that was passed to Charles from his mother, apart from the ability to spoil himself and everyone around him at all times, it was his taste for hosting a party, especially Christmas.

  
“They have been running the school mostly by themselves for the past 5 years, Charles, nothing close to being children anymore. And I thought retiring means stop working, so you might as well go with it,” Erik teased before suggesting, “If you really want to be busy, we can do something, though. Christmas brunch or New Year Dinner or even a housewarming party, I’m sure they would enjoy it as long as there are good food and enough alcohol to go around anyway.”

  
“Nobody’s going to be up in time for Christmas brunch, you know that, darling, and Raven has already invited us to her New Year Dinner.”

  
“What would you like to do, then? I do not believe you tell me this without having some plans already in your head.”

  
“Actually, I was wondering, since it falls right before Christmas this year and since you’ve celebrated it with Kitty every year anyway, would you mind teaching me to celebrate Hanukkah with you? I’d love to share some of your culture, love.”

  
“I really do appreciate that, Liebling, but it is nothing to me more than just some memories and I’ve only been celebrating it so Kitty won’t have to do it alone. I could teach you to make some latkes, though, as long as you promise to stay away from the stove.”

  
“I believe my cooking skill have improved during the past few years, dear. You can trust me with the stove now. I promise I won’t burn anything this time.” Charles took Erik’s cue and changed the topic.

  
Even though Erik tried to brush it off as if he was just not interested, Charles knew better than that. As cold-hearted as most people viewed him to be, there are things that Erik held close to his heart. Those little moments back in time that used to make him believe in the beauty of life. Those memories that held its place inside him even deeper than the rage he had been powered by. When he came up with the idea, he thought—as a family they are now—it would allow them to carry on what little memories Erik had left of his culture, his family, and above all things, his Ma. Seeing a brief flash of pain across the man’s face as he mentioned the celebration, on the other hand, told him re-living this memory would be too much for his metal bender.

 

 

“What about the 12 days of Christmas?” Charles almost shouted as the idea struck him.

  
“What?” Erik shot the younger man a rather confused look. It was well over lunch time and the thought of what they should do instead of preparing for Christmas party had already vanished from his train of thoughts.

  
“The 12 days of Christmas, you know, the European tradition where you give one gift each day for 12 days starting on Christmas? I know it is supposed to start on Christmas night, but finding 12 gifts for you should be enough to keep me busy all throughout December.”

  
“It took me 3 months to come up with one present for your birthday, you fool, 12 is just impossible,” Erik was nowhere near a romantic person and the fact that everything he could imagine Charles would have needed or wanted, the man had already got it wasn’t much of a help.

  
“We can half it down between the two of us, if you really can’t come up with 12. I can even go first, so you’ll have a little more time to prepare.”

  
Erik wanted to tell Charles a day wouldn’t be much help for him, but if he couldn’t turn down the normal Charles Xavier on any given day, turning down one with extra glittery blue eyes and a face-splitting grin was beyond the word impossible.

  
“As long as you promise not to peek, then.”

 

 

While he’ll have to crack his head over the other 5 gifts, he could already come up with the one thing he was sure will surprise Charles already. After all, maybe, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.


	2. December 25 (Day 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas, which also means the first day of Charles and Erik's 12 Days of Christmas!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to all who celebrates it and Happy Holiday everyone!

When Charles woke up, it was only minutes passed 4 in the morning. His lashes fluttered the slightest as he peered out the window to the start-studded sky. He wondered for a brief moment as to why would he be up at such hours when it seemed no one was having a bad dream and surely he didn’t have any class to prepare. It was not until he rolled sideway, pulled up the blanket, and prepared to sunk himself into his lover’s arms and continue his good night sleep that he realized he was not the only one awake. Only then—yes, even as a genius telepath, age does slow down your brain—did it hit him.

“Merry Christmas, sleepy head.” Erik whispered with no trace of sleepiness in his voice, how that was possible was still the greatest mystery even to Charles. When he reached out to pull Charles’ head toward his lap, the German’s skin was cold enough to make his lover yelp.

“Merry Christmas, darling. By the way, it’s 4AM, I don’t think anyone waking up at this time could be called a sleepy head at all.” Charles mumbled against the soft fabric of Erik’s pajamas, trying to wiggle himself away from Erik’s cold arms. “How long have you been up, anyway? You’re as cold as ice!”

“Long enough to see your confused face, Liebling. And for someone who normally stays awake all the way from Eve’s dinner till he gets to open his presents, 4AM is quite something, don’t you think?” Erik did not even try to hide the smug in his voice.

“I’m not getting a present from you today. Why should I stay up the whole night then?” Charles pouted.

“Don’t you make that face at me, Charles. You were the one who set up the rules yourself.” Erik shook his head. He had suggested that he could start first so Charles wouldn’t have to miss out one—out of the god-knows-how-many—gift, but the smaller man insisted that he give Erik something on Christmas.

“It just won’t feel right if I don’t get to give you Christmas present…” A glimpse of sadness flickered through Charles’ bright blue eyes as if only the idea of that caused him pain.

“Even if you’re going to be giving me 12 more throughout the next two weeks? Always such an old fool you are, Schatz.” Erik bended down to press his lips gently on his lover’s forehead and trailed it down to his eyes, along the line of his nose, and finally those red lips he was always so fond of, pretending not to notice what the other man was thinking about.

Despite the way they parted ways and the fact that it was nothing near easy finding the Brotherhood’s hidings, Charles never failed—not even during the years Erik spent always on the run—to send him Christmas gifts. He did sent cards, letters and books sometimes, too; but those were mostly random and spontaneous, while Christmas gift was constant and always to be expected. When Erik had finally moved back into the mansion, Charles had reasoned it to him that Christmas gift is his family’s tradition, that he had been giving and receiving one from Raven every year since they knew each other, and that while he knew it was definitely not Erik’s tradition—not even his holiday—he couldn’t bear the thought of the man he loves the most sitting alone somewhere while the whole brotherhood celebrate Christmas. Charles knew what it was like being an outsider and even when it broke his heart to do so, he still need to make sure the same thing didn’t happen to Erik.

The thought of it had brought Erik to tears the first time he heard of it—though he would never admit that to anyone beside Charles—and it still managed to make his eyes damped now, decades later.

“So, do you want to go check out what’s under the tree or do you want to go back for a little more sleep? I believe no one would already be up apart from Raven and Kurt anyway.” Erik asked, not bothering to hide the hint of tears in his eyes. Remaining stoic was one thing he used to be so proud of himself, but that was a life time ago. He had learnt the hard way the price of denying his own feeling. Now, he valued every little emotion, especially the ones triggered by his lover.

“The presents, obviously.”

 

 

 

They planned for everybody to finish unwrapping their presents well before lunch so the staff could clean up and still got enough time to prepare for dinner, but by the time everybody managed to calm themselves down enough to look at the clock, it was almost 1. Normally, Erik was not so fond of people who messed up schedules, but even he didn’t have the heart to interrupted.

Kurt popping up here and there to peeked at what everybody was getting, Jean getting flooded by her students’ gift despite how she was already using her power to unwrap three packages at a time, Azazel turning an even deeper shade of red and quickly tugged away whatever gift it was his ever-so-naughty wife gave him, Ororo excitedly waving every gift she got for Erik to see like she used to in her first years at the mansion, Scott and Logan bickering for a hundred and thousand time over who got better gift from Jean, Hank looking awestruck at how his professor still managed to find one more machine to give him, Raven giggling like a 3-year-old while trying to distract Charles from finding out what she gave Azazel, and even Kitty was smiling so wide her cheek would surely be in pain later on.

Erik leaned against the doorway with a cup of Earl Grey in his hands, taking in the scene in front of him with a gentle smile. Maybe it was because he had aged, or maybe it was simply because he had learnt to find peace in all the little things in life, he couldn’t say for sure, yet seeing the whole mansion coming to life with such joy warmed his heart the way he never thought possible.

“You have found yourself a family, darling, that’s why.” Charles said quietly, his hands reaching out automatically for the tea cup.

“The world would be so surprise if they know their most powerful Omega-level telepath can easily be summoned by a simple cup of tea.” Erik couldn’t help but teased.

“Let them be, then. It’s not like just any cup of tea could do that anyway.” Charles winked back, “Would you like to go see your present already? I’m sure these kids could manage a few hours by themselves without burning down the mansion.”

“After you, then, Liebling.”

 

 

 

“I thought I’m supposed to be the excited one here, Charles. If you get any more nervous, I’m sure you would be projecting all the way to the city already.” Erik commented as he waited for Charles to retrieve his gift from their bedroom. Sitting two rooms away, yet he could still feel how those shoulders tensed up and without much guess, he could tell how his lover must be biting his lips profoundly.

“I’ve got to admit it, Love; this gift is the one I’m most unsure of. I know you would love to have it, that much I’m sure, but there are chances that you would hate it still.” The younger man wheeled himself into their studies with a thin package wrapped in simple dark brown paper that somehow gave Erik a rather nostalgic feeling.

“We won’t know ‘till I get to see it I guess?”

“Well, Merry Christmas to you again then, Erik.”

“And you, Schatz.” Erik answered as he started tearing off the wrapper.

 

 

 

Half way through unwrapping, Erik could make out that it was a book—and from its smell, a rather old one. Still, he couldn’t understand Charles’ reason for being so agitated until he got the first glance of the cover. Only a quarter of it was more than enough for him to know what it was. Feeling his hands shake, he sucked in as much breath as his body would allowed without hyperventilating. He didn’t even realized how much time must have passed until he heard Charles’ worried voice.

“If it makes you feel uncomfortable…”

“I’ve never thought I’d get to see it again, Charles. It’s..” Erik cut in, knowing Charles’ tendency of expecting the worst when it came to his reaction. “ Der 35. Mai. Ma bought it for me sometimes before we moved to Poland. She used to read it to me when we were hiding, promising me she would buy me new ones as soon as the war ended.”

“Erik, you fool. You almost gave me a heart attack just now. I was wondering if I should give you this, but I know you would have wanted to have it.” Relieve shone brightly in Charles’ eyes and even brighter in his mind.

“But, how do you know? I’m certain you won’t be able to dig this up from my head without me noticing it, don’t you? Not that I would mind that, though.” Erik chose his words carefully as he asked. The privacy of his mind was always a sensitive issue between them. There was a time when he loathed the presence of Charles’ mind in his head and even though that was a long time ago, the wound he inflicted on his lover’s heart would never properly heal—one thing he couldn’t stop hating himself for no matter how many times Charles told him it’s OK.

“No, Erik, not recently, at least. I saw it in your dream once when you first came to the mansion, though. We were sleeping and your dream somehow flooded my mind. It wasn’t the first time that happened, but it was the first time it wasn’t a nightmare. I didn’t understand it at first, but then I realized it must have been a memory so dear to you that it could cause strong enough emotion for it to slip through my shield. Normally only the worst of your nightmare could do that.” Charles paused, as if weighting his decision to continue. “Would you like me to show it to you?”

Erik sucked in a breath he didn’t even notice he was holding. Charles had just offered him one of the things he longed for the most. When he first made it out of the camp, his mind went into its self-protective mode and buried most of his memories prior to the camp, the things that would have left him vulnerable, in the deepest corner of his mind. And after spending years after years of his life killing, revenging, and creating wars, all the memories he had left of Edie was her trembling voice as she said ‘Alle ist gut’ and the memory of that one Hanukkah night Charles dug up for him decades ago. The memory was sweet, yet heartbreaking back then; and he had no doubt it would still be so now, but Erik couldn’t stop himself from accepting the offer.

“If you don’t mind, Charles, though I couldn’t guarantee how I would react to it.”

Charles replied with a silent nod and a grab his lover’s hand.

 

 

_When Erik opened his eyes, all he could see was shelves filled with books and a kindly-looking woman standing behind the cashier table. She handed the change to his mother then turned to him and handed him a book._

_‘Der 35. Mai’ was written in red at the top of the cover. Below it was a picture of a boy and a man riding a donkey, who seemed to be wearing a rollercoaster of some kind. It looked fun—at least to the younger him—and he was delighted._

_“Danke!” (Thank you!)_

_“Gerne, Lieber” (Gladly, dear.) Mama answered with a big smile, sounding much kinder and sweeter than he remembered her to be. Erik could feel her hand ruffling his hair and was torn between the rather irritated feeling of his younger mind and the overwhelming feeling of his present self._

_When he looked up again, this time he was sitting in front of his small overnight bag with the book in his hand._

_“K _ö__ _nnen auch wir bringen das?”(Can we bring this too?) He asked as he looked across his bedroom to Mama who was sitting at the end of his bed._

_“Ja.” She answered with a faint smile. Her face was filled with worries and the younger version of himself felt confused. He couldn’t understand why they have to move so far away and why Mama looked so sad and scared. His present self, though, understood it far too well. Looking at her from this point of view and Erik couldn’t help but admire Edie for still looking so calm and composed knowing what they were about to go through._

_That’s how she always was, he recalled, never giving up._

_As Erik blinked again, he found himself in a dimly-lit room. He couldn’t remember it, yet he was more than certain it must have been one of their hidings. A secret room underground or behind a cupboard in somebody’s house who had enough courage and caring to give them place to hide from the Nazis. The warm body behind his back and the soft arms caressing him told him that he must be on Mama’s lap. Her soft, sweet voice whispered close to his ear as she read the book out loud to him._

A silent sob broke out of Erik’s throat as he snapped out of his memories. He had expected that seeing his mother again would bring him great pain, the way it did when he see her in his dreams, but instead, he was overwhelmed with warmth and even the faintest sense of belonging. Maybe becoming an old, retired man living with a huge family somehow healed a big part of the wound, or maybe he had learnt to value what so little happiness present in each moment more than the pain that sometime accompanied it; whichever one that is, he would never be able to tell. Yet there was one thing he could tell for sure, though.

“Thank you, Liebling, for showing that to me now, for not asking about it back then, for the gift, for being here, or more like, for allowing me to be here. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

“For you, Love, I’d do anything.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Der 35. Mai is a popular German children's book published around the time Erik was born, so I figured he would most probably have read it.This is what it looks like http://img.zvab.com/member/97072s/61446323.jpg  
> 2\. My German knowledge is as little as nothing, so if you see any mistake, please forgive me and let me know how to fix it.


	3. December 26 (Day 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 2nd day of Christmas and Erik was being unsure.

Erik hesitated.

Up until yesterday, he was sure his first choice of gift for Charles had been acceptable. He asked Raven for some idea of what to give and she helped him come up with a decently looking list—or rather, a list that had looked decent until yesterday afternoon. He even went to Jean and Ororo for more suggestion on this particular gift and they had both assured him it was more than fine. Now, though, he wasn’t quite sure any more.

It was not like Charles would really be disappointed by it or anything, that much he was sure. After all, they had been together for decades and his lover knew better than anyone else how bad he could be with finding gifts. But still, after seeing Charles’ first gift for him yesterday, he started to doubt if this was really a good idea. Of the two of them, Charles had always been the creative and romantic one with his love of making surprises and doing sweet things simply because he could. Erik, on the other hand, leaned more toward being practical and realistic, a trait built unconsciously over his years of surviving alone. While he knew Charles wouldn’t be expecting much from him—heaven knows, he may not expect at all—but Erik couldn’t help but feel like he had failed his lover.

 

 

And that was the reason why he remained rather silent since they woke up sometime before noon all the way throughout their late lunch. That was also the reason why, 3 games of chess later, he couldn’t manage to win or even to keep the game going for longer than 10 minutes.

“If only I thought it is possible for you, my dear, I would have thought me and my game bored you.” Charles finally let out a small complain, though his voice was filled more with smugness than frustration.

“You think I can’t get bored of you, you’re saying, Charles?” Erik teased back, trying his best to lighten up the nervousness in his mind, not wanting the telepath to hear his thought any more than he already did.

“That you haven’t walked out on me even once throughout all these years said something pretty clearly about that. Isn’t it, darling?”

“Not exactly, Liebling.” The older man replied before lowering his head just a bit and look at his lover the way he knew for sure could melt the other man right on the spot. “It only said I found you more pleasurable than anything out there, Charles. And maybe, that I love you more than my life out there, too.”

While blushing was a common thing for Charles, losing his words at the same time was certainly not. He had always been so sure they were too old and had been through too much for moment like this to make him shy like a teenager, but then he had almost always underestimate the things Erik could do to him. He shouldn’t be surprise for this.

“I.. I’ll.. I’ll go check the mailbox. Maybe by the time I come back you’ll remember how to properly play chess.” Charles stuttered out as he made his way out of the room before Erik could say one more word—which was likely to make his face burn, from the look of it.

Erik leaned back in his leather chair, his gaze following the silhouette of Charles making his way through the front door. He had been living here longer than he had lived anywhere else in the world, and yet he still couldn’t figure out how it was possible than a slight blush on someone’s face—a man, to be even more exact—could fill him with more satisfaction than any of his killings or his revenges ever did.

 

 

 

Charles’ trip to the mailbox had extended itself into something else completely by the time Erik got impatient and came out to look for his telepath. He could feel the metal of his lover’s wheelchair beyond the front porch, most likely right next to the lake, which made Erik shook his head a little. Despite growing up mostly in Oxford, Charles was never good with cold and he loved it too much for his own good, which was why Erik made his way around the house to make sure the telepath haven’t turn himself into a snowman, and most probably to give him a lecture or two on how he should be more careful not to get himself sick.

It took him a few minute of hesitation—something that didn’t happen so often—before Erik decided it was the best time. Obviously enough, his gift couldn’t beat Charles’ at being impressive or considerate or romantic, but at the very least it was certainly practical and, judging by the way the younger man was shivering, much needed at the very moment.

 

 

“Hm.. That’s lovely, darling.” Charles hummed out as Erik used his power to warm up the wheelchair just enough to stop the telepath’s shivering.

“I’ve always thought being a genius would make you less stupid, Charles. You know you’re going to catch a cold sitting out like this.” Erik scolded lightly. He moved closer until he was right behind the wheelchair, and then gently wrapped a thick, fluffy scarf around Charles’ neck. “At least wear something warm, you fool.”

“You’re such a dear, Erik.” Charles answered with half his voice muffled away by the way he tried to bury his face right into the soft yarn of the scarf. “Where did you get this, love? I’ve never seen it before…”

Charles looked up to see Erik’s eyebrows quirked up in a knowing look that suggested he knew Charles wouldn’t be able to hold himself back from looking for the answer in Erik’s head.

“Well?” Erik tilted his head teasingly as he asked.

“You made this for me?!” Charles’ voice got a little higher as the result of his surprise—something Erik counted as a success. It’s not like you could manage to surprise a telepath every day anyway.

“You always complain that the one you were using was getting ragged and you couldn’t find one that suits you. I just thought making you one would solve the problem.” Erik excused himself as he felt tingling warmth crept up his cheeks. He was absolutely not a romantic person, not the kind of person who normally gives anyone gifts even, but Charles loved gifts and he loved being cared for, so Erik thought it would be nice to give him something that would remind him of the fact.

“You never told me you could knit. Is it one of those skills you picked up while fighting against the world?” While his words sounded like a tease, the sparks in Charles’ eyes suggested that he was just impressed. Despite the love he had for arts and crafts, he could never manage anything beyond 4th-graders’ level. Erik was never much the type of person who indulges in arts, so Charles assumed that his reason must have been more practical—as Erik always was.

“I do learn how to stitch when I was in the camp, but I don’t think knitting is the kind of thing you could really pick up when you’re on the run, Liebling.” Erik chuckled at the image of himself hiding in an underground cave, trying to figure out how to knit a straight line while the brotherhoods prepared for their fights.

“Could you please avoid mentioning your stitching skills to me again unless strictly necessary?” Charles had accidentally walk in on Erik when he was using his ‘stitching skill’ once, and no matter how many times Erik had insisted that all those years of Shaw’s experiment had set his standard of ‘bearable pain’ much higher than most people nor how his stoic expression seemed to supported his theory, only a brief thought about it was more than enough to make Charles wince in pain. “Anyway, so you learnt it _before_ the camp? That doesn’t sound likely. You must have been too young for it.”

“Adrenaline or not, it really didn’t hurt, you sensitive, old man.” Erik pressed a soothing kiss on his lover’s head. “And you’re right; I would have been way too young to care for knitting before the camp. But luckily your Jean spent enough time with her Granny to know the basic stuff.”

“Are you trying to say you learn how to knit a scarf, and get one done, in two months, Erik? For me?”

“It does help a lot when you don’t really have to use your hands to knit, though. And really, Charles, it’s nothing compares to your gift yesterday. I was thinking of finding you something else earlier even.”

“Oh I’m glad you didn’t, my dear. It’s lovely, and very touching. I’ll have you know this is the first handmade scarf I’ve ever receive, having lived to this very age, love. You’ve seriously made my day.”

“That, was my goal, Liebling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The stitches refers to a scene in DOFP where Erik stitched the wound at the back of his head. From the look of it, I take it that he must have done it before.


	4. December 27 (Day 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 3rd day of Christmas and Charles took a moment to appreciate what he've got.

With a fast food commercial replacing the end credit of his favorite series, Charles reached out for the remote and switched off the TV. They had re-run Star Trek: The Original Series on a late-night slot, and with no reason to wake up early, Charles couldn’t resist watching it even though he had gone through the whole series countless of times before. Charles turned toward Erik who had been dozing off through most of the episode. Unlike Charles, Erik had never been such a fan of the series. The first time Charles introduced him to it, he enjoyed it, but after the third time through the series, he had given up trying and would only keep Charles’ company with a book to read or assignments to check. And without the presence of both items this time, it wasn’t a surprise he couldn’t keep his eyes open.

Charles tried to shift himself off Erik’s chest as quiet as possible, so not to wake the other man, then he realized Erik had carriedhim to the sofa earlier and his wheelchair was still back in the kitchen. It didn’t take more than a second for him to decide whether to wake Erik up or to settle back down and wait. He shuffled his upper body slightly, reached down to adjust his legs into a more comfortable position and turned his gaze back to study the way the light from the kitchen reflected on his lover’s face.

 

 

Erik’s look had always been way beyond the word pleasing to the eyes, Charles thought as he let his mind slipped back to their time together at the CIA facility. Though it was Erik’s mind that drawn Charles towards the older man when they first met, he couldn’t deny how good the other man looks. He was tall, lean, yet muscular. The color of his eyes that of a stormy sea and his expression as fierce and determined, if not more, as his mind.

Looking at his lover as he was in this moment, an old man with perfectly silver hair and uncountable amount of wrinkles, dozing out in front of the TV in a well-worn stripped pajama, made it hard to imagine the way he used to look like, so bitter and filled with nothing but rage and pain. Apart from the lack of anger and the signs of age, though, Erik hadn’t changed much, or perhaps not at all. His posture was still military perfect, even in his most relaxed moment, his body strong and firm the way a headmaster shouldn’t be able to maintain, especially a retired one, and, the best of it all, his eyes, still looking as stormy as it always did, was now filled with peace and contentment that make him look all the more lovable.

A little further thought about the night and Charles had to bite his cheek to stop himself from laughing, not wanting to rouse Erik from his peaceful nap, as the image of Erik intight-fitting diving suit popped up in his head. _Even without that mind or that face, you would have jumped right at him seeing him in that suit anyway,_ Raven used to tease him. Though he succeeded in stopping himself from laughing, Charles couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering a little lower. Well, yet another thing that had never change, then.

 

 

“Quite a lovely thought you used to wake me up, you dirty old man.” Erik mumbled drowsily as he dragged himself out of his sleepiness. He couldn’t snap right out of his sleep like he once did anymore, and yet he considered that more of a gain than a loss on his cause.

“Hey there, sleeping beauty. Sorry I wake you up, didn’t mean to project the thought.” Charles replied sheepishly before pulling himself closer to his lover, close enough to trace the other man’s lips with his own.

“How long did I sleep? You should have waked me up earlier, Liebling.” The clock on the wall showed he had slept for almost an hour after Charles’ favorite series ended.

“Oh, don’t be silly. We’re retired, we’ve got no schedule tomorrow, and we have no time-fixed plan for tonight. No point for me to disturb your peaceful nap. Beside, I’ve got quite a lovely view to look at after all.” Charles emphasized his words by running his gaze up and down Erik’s body.

“Oh, so I got degraded to ‘a view’ now?” With a quirk of his eyebrows, Erik teased back.

“More like a work of art, Silly. Anyway, would you like to open your present now and then we could move to the bedroom? Or is there anything else you want to do?” Charles asked, pointing at a wrapped box that sat quietly on their coffee table.

“That sounds good. Let’s see what you’ve got for me.” It took Erik only seconds to tear through the packaging, and when he saw what was inside, he couldn’t stop himself from cracking up just a little bit. “You really do love the jacket after all, Charles? And now do I have to find myself a black turtleneck to pair up with this?”

“Come on, Erik. It’s not like you don’t have any in your closet already!” Charles laughed along with his lover. Yes, he really did get Erik a leather jacket, an exact replica of that leather jacket Erik always wore when they were on their road trip together. How could he resist when he could never take his eyes off Erik whenever he wore it—not like he could do any better at any given time, but still. “And I’ve told you it looks great on you. Now you’ve got to believe that wasn’t just me flirting with you.”

“Whatever you say, Liebling, I know a flirt when I see one. And you, Charles Xavier, you live to flirt. But I do appreciate the comment, and the gift, obviously.”

“Does that mean you’d wear it for me?” It wasn’t until the words slipped out of his mouth that Charles realized how childish he must have sounded. Well, he spent most of his life acting all grown-up, who’d care if he would not be so for once.

“Why would I not? I loved the design when I chose it for myself, and getting it from you just make it all the better.” Erik beamed as he made a mental note to dig up some turtleneck later on.

 

 

“Now that I know why you were thinking about how I looked earlier, Schatz.” Erik whispered, his voice half a chuckle and half quite another thing all together. The kind of thing that never failed to make pleasant heat stirred up in Charles’ body. “Let’s move to bed and I’ll show you _something_ could never change.”

 

 


	5. December 28 (Day 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 4th day of Christmas, because one could never be too old for breakfast in bed.

**December 28 (Day 4)**

It had been snowing since the middle of the night, and even though the snow had thinned down to nothing more than just flurry, the weather was still freezing. Glancing out the window of their bedroom, all Erik could see was white landscape covered with fresh, clean snow. _Charles is going to love this._ He thought to himself while weighting his decision on whether to wake the other man up, and then decided against it. Their house sat on the edge of the property, far away from the school. The snow would be disturbed by nothing but sunlight and even that wouldn’t be a problem for at least a few hours more. Erik decided that Charles could do with some sleep in, and he some good, morning run.

 

 

Though the snow had become so light it was almost impossible to see, the wind was strong. Much stronger than Erik expected it to be when he dressed up, at the very least. Even with his winter gear on, the air was so crisp he swore it could cut through his skin and while his run was nothing more than a slow jog nowadays, the coldness made his face numb. Perfect weather, Erik thought.

Given his history, most people believed he would despise the cold and all the hardship brought about by it, but in reality, winter had always been his preferences.

As a child, he loved how the cold breeze seemed to tickle him every time he step outside, and the rush of warmth all over his body when he stood near the fireplace was worth the work it took to lit the fire. As a Sonderkommando in the camp, where even with his mind was numbed by rage and despair and his body with hunger and exhaustion Erik couldn’t escape the fact that he was shoving what was left of his people, the harsh winter numbed his senses even further, until he was left with nothing but instinct. It was the closest the task had ever got, no matter how far it was, still, to the word bearable.

At the age where his knees strained after a few steps too much on the stair and his back no longer allow him to tie his shoelace without properly sitting down, winter had proved to be more bothersome than he thought it could possibly be in the luxury confine of Charles’ wealth. It turned out no amount of money could help you avoid chapped lips that bleed if you open your mouth a little too wide or lessen the ache in the knee he believed he must have broken at least once during his days in the Brotherhood. But the crisp weather made him feel alive and, like how he once was in his childhood days, to be able to feel that rush of warmth when he got back inside was worth the trouble winter caused. Especially when said warmth was doubled up by the presence of Charles’ mind in it, the very thing that made Erik felt like home.

 

 

By the time Erik got back inside, it was already passed seven. Reaching out with his powerhe could feel Charles’ wheelchair still at its place right next to the bed. His lover was either still deep in sleep or found the weather too pleasant for him to leave the bed just yet. Let him enjoy that a little longer, Erik thought as he looked down to what he was holding and couldn’t help but grin sheepishly. How long had it been since he last picked up a flower for someone? He placed the flower on the kitchen counter and shook his head fondly. He knew Charles’ ideology would get through to him someday, romanticism, though, was something he never thought possible for himself. And yet again, Charles had defied the impossible.

 

 

“I woke up to a cold bed.” Charles muttered out half-heartedly even before Erik was able to make a full step into their bedroom.

“It…” Erik was about to tease Charles for the fact that he complained yet didn’t get up still, but as he stepped closer, he saw a flicker of something in his lover’s eyes. A remnant of the wound he inflicted upon the one person who had never gave up on him, the smallest, well-hidden reflection of fear. But instead of letting guilt froze him right on the spot like he once did, Erik made long, quick strides toward the bed, lowered himself down next to Charles’ pillow and gently nudged the other man’s head to his lap. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be, darling. It was just a second or maybe a tenth of it even. I reached for you, but you weren’t there so my mind reached out. And, well, you know the rest of it, love, I couldn’t feel you in the house and my head jumped to the worse explanation.” Charles turned to his side and dug his face into Erik’s tight, trying to hide his expression. The fact that he still got a panic attack waking up without Erik at his side was something acceptable back when Erik had just came home. When they had been living almost every minutes of every day together for some decades, though, it was rather embarrassing.

It was not like he didn’t trust Erik. No, in fact, he didn’t even need his trust here. Erik had laid his mind bare for Charles to see almost at all time now. If he so much as considered leaving, even for a day’s trip, Charles would know right in an instant. And even beyond that, Charles knew Erik would never walk out on him, not again. Not when the only time he did so had left their life devastated and their heart shattered for years. In those small moments when his mind was clouded with sleepiness and hadn’t yet gained full conscious of the reality, though, he sometimes forgot. Those are the times where his mind believed it was back in the 70s and Erik had gave him a night together, just enough for Charles to put his hope up again, then disappeared into the night, leaving him with a bed that felt even larger than it always was.

He got so much better now, anyway. Back then he would wake up with ragged breathe, his heart pounded so hard he was afraid of heart attack, and his cheek covered with tears. Now, he only got that split second of fear, the kind that felt like your heart dropped to your stomach, just enough to wake him up completely and then he would be alright.

“You sure you’re okay, Liebling?” Erik asked softly. He hated the fact that he had left so many scars on Charles’ body from all the stupid things he had done, but this wound he left on Charles’ heart was the one that pained him most. Charles had insisted so many times that the false was mutual, that they were both young and foolish, that they did what they though was best, not for themselves, but for mutantkind, yet Erik still feel like his heart was ripped off every time he saw that look on his lover’s face.

“Don’t worry, darling.” Charles moved himself toward Erik’s side of the bed and gave the empty space a few pats. “Get back in here and tell me why you were up so early?”

“If you said so then. The snow had almost stopped, so I went for a run. You’re going to love the scene outside.” Erik slipped himself under the blanket. His hands reached out and tugged Charles a little closer, pressing his lips on the smaller man’s temple before continued talking. “I’ve got something for you before that, though.”

When he levitated the breakfast tray towards their bed, Charles’ eyes glittered in a way Erik thought not possible to anyone above ten.

“You made me breakfast? And got a flower for me too? Oh, how sweet, Erik.” Charles beamed at the older man as he pushed himself up to sit against the headboard and reached out for the tray. When he saw what Erik made for him, he couldn’t decide whether he should feel touched or surprised. “You made me an American breakfast. With bacon!”

It wasn’t like Erik kept strict kosher. If the death of his mother wasn’t enough to stop him from believing in any higher being, years of being tortured and experimented on did the job perfectly well. Even when he thought he might stick to it in remembrance of his mother, he was poor and when you barely have enough food to survive for another day, you don’t have the luxury of choosing.

But pork was the one thing Erik could never get used to. He could eat it if he had to, and he had done so for perhaps over a hundred times when food was scarce and being picky would mean putting life in danger. When he got back to the mansion, though, he made it clear to everyone he would neither eat nor cook it. The smell was too strong for him and he felt himself too old to try and get used to it.

That was why bacon was the last thing Charles expected to see when Erik cooked for him.

“You know you need to be spoil every once in a while, Charles, or you’ll be bored to death. Besides, I cooked it in the toaster. Kitty said it wouldn’t smell so much that way.” If Erik’s face was a little warmer than usual, he refused to acknowledge it.

“You asked Kitty how to cook bacon? For me? I’m seriously impressed, Erik.” Charles’ face brighten up even more than anyone would have thought possible. He shifted toward the other man and was about to give him a hug to show how true he was to his word when another tray of breakfast made its way into the bedroom. Neither the tray itself nor the idea of the two of them having breakfast in bed together would have been enough to stop him, if not for the unfamiliar looking mug that was on Erik’s tray.

A plain, matte-black mug with a line of silver-colored text inscribed near the bottom in the neat, squared handwriting he’d notice at a glance anywhere.

_‘I thought I was alone.’_

The tray floated close enough for Charles to make out the words on it and instantly his face was filled with a broad smile. Glancing down at the tray on his lap, he now noticed the white mug he was too excited to notice earlier was not his regular, but a plain white mug with a line of text in the same fashion as the one on Erik’s tray. This one in his wavy, cursive handwriting.

_‘You are not alone.’_

“A couple mug? Now, Erik, you are better at finding gifts than you admitted yourself! This is very lovely. And those words…” Running the tip of his finger along the text, Charles couldn’t help but to blink back tears in his eyes. While this as a present from your decades-long partner may not seemed like much, he had always admitted himself as a hopeless romantic and this kind of domestic gifts was always so touching for him. The fact that it was from Erik—the man who once declared himself heartless and still believed himself to be so more often than not—gave him all the more reason to be sentimental.

“Those words of yours saved my life, Liebling. It means more to me than you’d ever imagine.” Erik’s voice softened as he bended down to give the telepath a sweet, long kiss. He knew Charles would understand what he meant. Yes, those words saved him that night in the ocean when they first met, but that was not what he meant. What he was talking about was all the decades that followed that night, the ones they spent together and the ones they spent apart, and how those simple words—the knowledge of someone who understand him completely, someone equal, a family he never thought he still have left—had kept his soul alive even when it was the least possible.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1, A Sonderkommando is a Jewish who were forced to work for the Nazis in concentration camps. Their main job was to throw away the death bodies from the gas chambers.  
> 2\. Erik's preference about pork was taken from one of my friend's. Her religion forbid her from eating various animals, and though she'd skip the rules every once in a while for convenience and craving she really can't stand eating pork.


	6. December 29 (Day 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 5th day of Christmas and how Charles managed something he never could (with some help, that is).

 

**December 29 (Day 5)**

For what felt like the hundredth time since the day began, Charles was certain this was a bad idea. After decades of trying and failing, he should have known better. He should have known that even with Jean and Ororo’s help, it was still nothing but a disaster waiting to strike.

At the very least, he should have known well enough to come up with a backup plan.

But it was already too late for that, so all he could do was to ignore the wonder in the girls’ head as to how he could be so hopeless at this and start again from the beginning.

“Now that should do just fine, Charles.” Ororo said as she helped him push the tartlets into the oven.

Five hours after his first attempts—which had taken over an hour itself—and finally there were edible foods on the table. If there was anything left for Charles to still take pride off, it would be that he didn’t underestimate his ability to create kitchen disaster and thus started out right after lunch, which he also decided to have early.

“They weren’t here the last time you tried to cook proper food, Charles.” Raven bantered. She lived in an apartment in the city with Azazel and Kurt now and normally wouldn’t be at the school on days she didn’t have classes or appointments. But Jean had told her about her brother’s plan, apparently behind Charles’ back, and as busy as she was preparing for her own New Year’s party, she just had to come and see it for herself.

“Oh shut up, Raven.” Charles groaned as he carefully ladled his beef ragu over two plates of pasta.

He looked way more exhausted than Rave could remember seeing, and judging by the fact that she had fought with him and against him countless times before, that was quite something. _All these years, and they are still courting each other_. Raven laughed at her own thought. She wasn’t sure if she should envy her brother for his relationship or find it funny what he had become. Before Erik, the idea of Charles seriously courting someone was almost unimaginable and for him to continue courting the same person even after they have been dating for decades was impossible even in her wildest dream.

“You can go enjoy your dinner, Charles. I’ll take these babies out when they’re done and then we’ll leave.” Jean gestured toward the oven then glanced at the pile of kitchenware left in the sink. “And don’t worry about those; I’ll take care of it. You’re too tired already.”

“And now you sounded just like him, Jean! _You go enjoy your day and I’ll take care of this mess. You’ve done well today._ ” Raven mimicked Charles’ _Professor Voice_. “I won’t be surprise if you ended up being the next professor.”

.”Admit it, Raven, it’s her or Kurt. Or maybe both of them.” Ororo joined in with bright laugh. “We’re lucky enough to be raised by him and only got the fun part. Those two, though, they can’t escape his nerdiness.”

**“** That coming from someone who’s officially taken after his position, Ororo? I swear you both have it in you more than you’d like to admit.”

 

 

Charles quietly wheeled himself, and the tray containing his and Erik’s dinner, away from the kitchen. He thought about making dinner because it reminded him of how, on the very first day they came to the mansion, Erik had prepared them dinner and for the first time in his life, Charles’ idea of family extended beyond Raven. His cooking skills, or more like the lack of it, had no way of competing with Erik’s. The older man had learnt from his mother and his grandmother when he was young and even after that had fended for himself for year. If one knew how to make stale, stolen food edible, one obviously would be able to make good food delicious. Charles, on the other hand, had lived off the graceful cooking skill of Mrs. Winter, their cook, for the most part of his life, and even during his years in Oxford, it was either some take-out or whatever it was Raven made for him.

With the girls’ voices faintly audible in a distance, Charles found himself a little less worried about whether Erik would like the food. He knew Erik would appreciate the effort, no matter how the food ended up being. And on top of that, seeing the girls who once couldn’t stand being in the same room with each other now making jokes about one another without a hint of hard feeling reminded him that what made that meal special wasn’t how good the food was, but rather the people it was shared with.

 

 

“So, you managed that with no casualties, Liebling? Never thought there would still be anything about you that could surprise me.” Erik didn’t even wait one second to mock Charles as he wheeled himself through the door. Instead of making it a surprise like other days, Charles had told him that morning about the day’s present, saying he would need a lot of time to prepare and Erik would have found out before he was done anyway. While the anticipation for the surprise was gone, it was replaced by worries instead.

Everybody knew how bad Charles could be at cooking, but Erik believed nobody else but he himself and Raven truly understood the level of disaster Charles could become once he’s in the kitchen.

The first time Erik realized it was when he wandered into the kitchen one night after trying, and failing, to move the satellite like Charles had urged him to try. The light in the kitchen was on and he could hear strings of curses even before he entered the room. He had expected to see the Professor with a small kitchen accident, most likely caused by darkness or drowsiness. What he saw, actually, was the last thing he ever expected to. Charles was standing there in front of the stove, where a pot of milk—or what was left of it, to be more precise—was fuming heavily, giving off a rather gruesome smell.

Charles’ explanation had been that he saw Erik outside trying to work his power and thought maybe some hot cocoa would help him go to bed easier after long hours of exhausting himself, but the milk didn’t seem to cooperate with him.

Erik could still remember how hard he had laughed that night, the way he didn’t have the chance to do for uncountable amount of years prior to that.

“Well I’m glad I did make you laugh so much that night, Darling. And yes, I assure you that, thanks to the girls, there are no casualties of either human or kitchenware caused by my lack of culinary skill this time. And I’ve tasted everything, they are all edible.” Charles’ voice pulled Erik back from his train of thoughts as the blue-eyed placed the tray on the dining table and handed him the silverware.Despite his words, Charles looked extremely nervous. To anyone else, he might look perfectly fine, but Erik’s eyes had been trained for years to look for all the small signs. He would probably notice it even when Charles himself couldn’t.

“You do know whether this taste good or not I’m already beyond the word touched, right?” Erik reached over and hold his lover’s hand tightly, his thumb gently stroking over the other man’s pulse spot the way he knew Charles always loved. “You spent over 6 hours in the kitchen, you fool. Not even my mother would spend that much of her time just for dinner, and I’m talking about the whole family’s dinner, not just mine. The only other person who’d ever done such thing for me was my grandmother, you know? And that would have to be a seriously special occasion.”

Charles nodded, trying his best to evade the older man’s gaze as they both start their meal. He had never cooked for anyone before, preparing sandwiches for Raven notwithstanding, and even with the soft, low hum of Erik’s appreciation seeping into his mind, Charles still found his pulse rising and his head spinning as if he was a teenager girl on her first date.

“Do tell me, Schatzi, why cooking? I mean, it’s actually really delicious and I love it, but we both know cooking has never been your thing. Why this, as a present for me?” Erik just had to ask.

“Remembered the first night we came here?” Charles asked, following his question with the memory of it in his mind.

Erik nodded, still looking puzzled.

“It was the first time in my life the mansion felt like home, my dear. When I was here with Raven before Oxford, it was a living hell. The only place we could feel safe would be our rooms, but even that felt more like a safety bunker.” Charles’ eyes were glossed and he had to take a short pause before he could go on. “That was the first time someone who’s not our maid used the kitchenand, since the death of my father, also the first time the dining room was filled with people who actually care about my existence. That meal, with Raven and all the children and with you cooking for us, it brought back the _home_ part of the mansion. It gave me back _a family._ And you know better than anybody how much that means to me, Erik. I just wanted to thank you for that.”

“You know you’re always welcome, Schatz. You always are.”


	7. December 30 (Day 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 6th day of Christmas and they are attending a gala dinner.

**  
**

**December 30 (Day 6)**

“I thought we’re finally officially retired, Charles! Why do we still have to do this?” Erik protested as he adjusted his bowtie for the third time.

“We’re attending as normal guests, love. Not as the headmasters.” Charles answered softly, sounding encouraging, yet amused at the same time. “You do know originally they only invited me, right? I RSVP with your name as my plus one, obviously, but if you’re not up for it, I can just call and let them know I will be attending without a partner tonight.”

“There’s no way I’m going to let you go to the Mutant Rights Supporters’ Gala Dinner by yourself, you know that, didn’t you? Someone tried to kill you there before, Silly.” Erik snipped out. Yes that was years ago, back when they were fighting for the chance of living for mutants, but even now that their fight had lessened to only convincing a handful bastards that mutants deserves better rights, Erik’s distress about the event was still as bad as before.

“So you’re playing my bodyguard tonight, then, my dear? Well, that’s lovely of you, Erik, really.” Charles checked his appearance once again in the mirror then lift his wrists up for Erik to help him with the cufflinks. “I see there is no point in reminding you that I can take care of myself, and that I had also been the one who took care of that _someone_. I do appreciate your concern, love, but could you please try not to let yourself be so worked up tonight? This is the first time we’re attending simply as guests, and I intended to enjoy the evening, especially the food, as much as possible.”

“Simply because you froze him in time before he successfully gave you a cure-laced shot wasn’t enough to stop me from worrying, Charles. Beside, even without the tendency of any attempts to hurt you, Liebling, the Gala would still be unpleasant for me.” Erik mumbled the latter sentence as a few images of the previous years’ Galas flashed up in his mind. The images of Charles, a glass of wine in his hand, wheeling himself across the room, shaking hands, talking, laughing, and, worst of all, being flirted at.

“Oh, come on. Look at me! I’m old enough to be their father, or even grandfather in many cases. And I don’t even have the whatever look I used to have anymore.” Charles chuckled. “If anything, they were flirting for my support, most probably financial, and not me, you fool.”

“Whatever you say, Charles.”

 

 

“You look great, like always, dear brother.” Raven beamed and made her way from the other end of the reception table toward them. “And you too, Erik. Though I do believe that is more Charles’ work than yours.”

“Thank you, Raven. You look gorgeous too, my dear. And you should give Erik the credits for tonight, he actually chose the suits for both of us.” Charles grinned. While his fashion preference was often frowned upon when they were younger, when it came to formal occasion, he was always the best among them at looking the most appropriate. _It’s the Xavier blood’s doing_ , Raven always joked, to which Charles could only admit to be true. But every now and then, today for example, when Erik was in a good enough mood to actually care about what he was wearing, the German’s suggestion was always striking.

“Oh, I see you did a very good job then, Erik. Anyway, I’ll catch you guys later at the table, okay? Azazel said he was going to take Kurt to say hi to someone like ages ago. I better go make sure they won’t sneak home without me like last year.” Raven frowned lightly, bending down to give her brother a hug, before making her way back to where she was heading earlier.

“Was it just me, or did Raven seemed more high-spirited than usual?” Charles asked as he let his gaze followed his sister’s back for a short while.

“Hopefully that’s because her New Year party’s preparation is going well. You know how fussy she could be as a hostess.” Erik answered half-heartedly. He was pretty sure the real reason was because she spotted his gift for Charles, and thus was torn between feeling thankful for her not giving it out and feeling frustrated knowing she will surely be teasing him about this for as long as she could remember it.

 

 

“Certainly enjoying the night, aren’t you, Hank?” Erik lifted his champagne glass toward Charles’ all-time favorite student. Hank had worked as the Department of Mutant’s Public Representative for years before he handed it down to the next generation and moved himself to be a consultant instead when his love for science called him back to the mansion as a professor. “We’ve come so far this year. You must be proud.”

“You know you and Charles did more work in Human-Mutant Relation than what I could possibly do in my life time, Erik.” Hank’s cheek flushed a faint shade of purple. Despite the years he spent talking in front of the media, and how good he became at public speaking, in front of _his family_ he would always feel like the same teenager they first found him.

“Don’t be silly, Hank. If it was me or Erik in front of those cameras, we wouldn’t have the word Human-Mutant Relation itself, but more like Human-Mutant War instead.” Charles answered with a bright laugh. It used to hurt him admitting how they tore themselves apart for basically nothing but wars and destruction, but after years of running the school with Erik, he realized it was most probably the only way their sky-high ego could ever be rid of.

“You better listen to Charles about this, Sugar.” Emma agreed. “I couldn’t believe you could still be so bad at receiving compliment after all the awards you’ve received.”

“He’s fine as long as it’s about science or the school, Emma. Anything else, he’d just turn purple.” Kurt explained, pretending he couldn’t see Hank’s deathly glare directed toward him.

“That coming from someone as blue, and shy, as me doesn’t sound so convincing, you know, kid?” Hank mocked back. He didn’t really mind Kurt’s joke. The kid was always somewhere in between his younger brother and his nephew, and they fact that they both look different and are extremely shy helped them get along better than most would have thought. But simply because he didn’t find a joke offensive didn’t mean he shouldn’t play along, isn’t it?

“Hey! You guys are not the only ones with blue skin here, remember?” Azazel cut in not-so-seriously with Raven laughing her head off right next to him.

“God, Azazel, save that for later, will you? We all know how much you adore your wife, but could you just let the kids have their fun?” Emma shook her head at her ex-comrade and rolled her eyes.

“Seriously, you people have never heard of the word grown up, right?” Erik snapped out before he could hold himself back. Not that it would ever matter that he scolded them, he could be rattling all the metals on and around them and they would continue on without caring anyway, but with at least Raven and Emma noticed what he gave Charles—though his lover had yet to notice it himself—though he didn’t mind them being the one to point it out for the man, he knew well enough to expect all the tease that would surely followed now that he had become their point of interest.

“Say for yourself, Erik. Really, you’re the one who got your partner a cufflinks with both your initials. If anyone here is acting like a child, a high school boy to be more specific, it’s definitely you.” Just as Erik expected, it took less than a split second before Emma fired at him, clicking her tongue and shaking her finger all at the same time. As if he really was a high school boy.

“I don’t know what got into you that you chose it as your present, Erik, but as lovely as it is, it still means, like Emma said, you’re no better than us. Unless you’d consider a love-struck teenager better than a child, that is.” Raven jumped right in, taking the advantages of not being the one who started the tease, which most likely mean Charles won’t be scolding her if they ended up pissing Erik off.

Across the table from Raven, Charles started to check his cufflinks, and only then did he noticed Erik didn’t put his usual set—the one with the school’s name and logo—on for him earlier, but another set he had never seen before. This one simple and rather plain, with nothing else but a decoratively scripted _E_ and _C._

“How sweet! Erik’s actually thinking of giving Charles all the things normal people does when they date, Raven. I won’t even have to read his mind further and I could already bet there are things like couple mugs and handmade craft.” Emma burst out laughing as Erik’s face turned a pretty shade of red and yet he still tried, and failed, to glare at her and Raven.

“Oh, that is so sweet of you, Erik!” Charles cried out. He knew there must be some meaning behind Erik’s choices, but he didn’t give it much thought less his curiosity would have won him over and he would dive into Erik’s mind to find out. But with Erik being who he is, Charles would never have thought he would have such a theme for their little event.

“Raven told me once you’ve barely ever been on a proper date, even back in Oxford, and that you had always been, secretly, a hopeless romantic. So I thought well, since we’ve jumped over it completely at the beginning, and you surely do deserve these things, I should pleasure you a bit.” Erik babbled out long line of excuses. In a sense, though, those weren’t excuses. They were the real reasons why he decided to give Charles all the thing he would have given were they ever on their dating period and he had planned to explain it all to the younger man at the end of the whole thing, but he wasn’t prepared to be talking about it in front of everybody else.

“Mein Gott!” Kurt slipped out in German, which by now he only reserved for when something really took him by surprise.

“Raven always say you are still wooing Charles, like on a daily basis, and I’ve see quite a few of that myself, but this one, Erik, this is actually pretty good.” Azazel said with a more serious than Erik expected him to; the curt nod that followed confirmed that he really meant what he said.

“Seriously?” Hank was tempted to roll his eyes, but stop short both in the respect he had for his professor and the fear he had for the other man.

“Did you make this yourself, love? It’s so beautiful.” Charles, who had been studying his new cufflinks since he noticed them and seemed to have lost track of everybody else around him apart from his lover, whispered, barely able to hide his face-splitting smile. He should be scolding Raven for still calling him a hopeless romantic even after all the things they’ve been through, but he was way too happy to bother. And well, maybe she wasn’t very wrong anyway.

“You have to ask, Charles?! As if he would let any metal not manipulated by him get anywhere that close to you. A jealous bastard he is.” Raven laughed, one hand reaching out to hold Azazel’s arm just in case Erik decided to throw some kind of metal at her.

“Jealous or not, it is still very nice of him.” Charles answered, turning to give Erik a light peck on the cheek, which gained him sighs and eye-rollings from around the table. “Thank you, Darling.”


	8. December 31 (Day 7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 7th day of Christmas and Charles was having a hard time.

**December 31 (Day 7)**

It had been one of the busiest days both of them had had in quite a while. Raven asked Erik over to her place to help her with her New Year party decoration and Charles had a lunch date with Hank, which turned into hours of discussion about Hank’s newest invention afterward. That was why, later in the evening after they finally made their way home, Erik agreed with Charles’ decision to settle down for some reading in their studies before getting ready for Raven’s party.

 

 

The thought didn’t catch up on him until almost an hour later, when he looked up and found his lover staring thoughtfully toward the flames instead of the book in his hands, that Charles wasn’t trying to cool down the scientific side of his brain, but actually was deep in some other thought. He didn’t need to be a telepath to know Charles was thinking about tonight’s gift. If it was about him, Charles wouldn’t be sitting in the same room with him right now without at the very least glaring at him and if it was something about Hank or their conversation, Charles would have vent about it already.

Even though what kept his lover frowning was fairly obvious; unlike the other day, Charles didn’t seem to be nervous or stressed out, but more like he was simply thinking. So Erik decided not to press on it, but just leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss right at the knot those brows were forming.

“Oh, I’m sorry, love, did you say something?” Startled back to reality, Charles asked apologetically.

“I didn’t.” Erik lifted his thumb to smooth away the line of stress that seemed have curled up on his lover’s temple before continuing with a tease. “Whatever it is you’re thinking about, keep it up and Raven’s going to believe her brother has ages a decade since you last met her.”

“Thank you for that. Anyway, I was thinking about your gift today.” As he spoke, Charles’ brows started to furrow again.

“I figured out that much, Schatz. You looked like you need more time to think about it. I won’t mind opening it after we got back from Raven’s, or if you’re not sure of it, you could skip it even.” Erik got up from his seat and moved himself to Charles’ side, rubbing a soothing circle on the younger man’s shoulder as he did. “I promise I won’t bicker about it.”

“That’s not it, love. I was just trying to figure out how to explain it to you. You see,” Charles paused midsentence, trying to find the best words. “When I planned the presents for you, I wanted it to have more meaning than just normal Christmas present, so I came up with a theme.”

“You mean you’ve been causing yourself a headache for the past hour trying to think of a way to explain to me that you’ve planned this whole thing based on our stories? The book for my childhood, the jacket for the road trip, and the dinner, like you said, for when we became a family. Or were you trying to find words for how today’s one represents the time I left you?” Erik cut in and even though he gave it his best, his voice was still laced with guilt the way it always did when this topic was brought up. “You know you could just tell me just like that, Liebling. Whatever anger or hate you feel towards me about that is totally logical and acceptable. And, I must have said this a thousand times before, but I’m here for good, you silly. I’d be nothing but a big fool if I ever walk out on you again, and you know better than anyone in the world that that’s not happening.”

“Oh, Erik, I didn’t expect you to notice it.” Charles was a little taken aback. “And I wasn’t afraid of you leaving, my dear, I trust that you won’t. I’ve always do. It’s just that this one is more about how I felt than just memories and I don’t know if you would be able to understand it the way I want you to.”

“Well, then, try me.” Erik answered with a smirk, which gained him a small eye-roll from his lover.

“I told you this is going to be about how I felt, love, and yes, that’s what I want to make you understand. But no, I’m not talking about anger, hate, pain, or even how broken I felt. You’ve had more than enough of that your whole life and we both know your leaving wounded you just as much as, if not more than, it did me.” Charles reached up to pull Erik’s hand closer to him and placed something in the middle of his hand.

From where he stood, Erik didn’t have a clear enough look of the piece to be able to tell exactly what it was, but it felt like a watch, yet there was something different about it. He could feel the way the strap curved, the flat surface of what supposed to be its face, and to hell with it, he could even hear it ticked, but he couldn’t feel a hint of metal in it. Erik had never been one with lots of patient, especially when something triggered his curiosity, yet he knew well enough to wait for Charles to enlighten him.

 

 

“I asked Hank to make this for me so it won’t even have the smallest bit of metal.” Charles lifted Erik’s hand up until he was sure the older man could clearly see what he was holding. “I know you don’t normally tell time by looking at your watch, Darling. You feel the metal of its arms instead. You’ve been doing so since we first met until now, and I figured it must have been a habit of yours, something you do so naturally that you might never even realize it. With this watch, though, you will have to look at it. It would still do its job, telling times, but you won’t be able to feel it. I’m sure it will take you quite some time to get used to having to _look for_ time and trust me, Love, that could be quite frustrating.”

Somewhere at the back of his head, Erik could see where Charles was heading, yet he didn’t have it in him to stop the other man from talking.

“That would be the closest thing to what I felt when you wore that ugly helmet. It wouldn’t be quite the same, surely, but I believe it will give you some idea.” Charles looked up at Erik and gave him a soft smile. He meant it when he said he no longer hold any anger toward what Erik did back then and also when he said he did not wish to cause the older man any pain. To be exact, that was the reason why he had been thinking so hard of how to explain this. He knew it would dig up that guilt in Erik’s heart, but he wanted him to understand.

“Now enough with that sad face, Darling. Yes, this was how I felt. I was able to see you from afar, to talk to you when our path crossed, and even to fight against you, Erik, but the lack of your presence in my head always make you seemed unreal, as if you were just a mannequin, a puppet of your true self. It was like I was dreaming and it was all nothing but illusions.” With Erik lowering himself down on his knees, Charles put the watch on his wrist before cupping his face and pulled him close. “But I only want to give you this to make you understand. That was our past. It made us who we are the way we are now. I am not angry with you anymore, not for a very long time already. And the thought of those years couldn’t even make me flinch now. To hell, I think it made me treasure what we have now more than I could ever do before it all happened even.”

“All at the cost of your legs and years of pain, Charles.” Erik held tight to his lover, his face buried into the corner of the smaller man’s shoulder as he swallowed back the urge to cry.

“Now you see why I had to think so much of how to say this? And really, we’re here, together, now. We have been for decades. You’ve helped me with the school, the kids, even with teaching. You’ve literally raised Ororo, fixed things up between me and Raven, took care of Kurt, and you’re still helping Kitty get connected to her root. You once took the things that meant the most to me, yes, but you gave me back what meant even more than all I’ve lost, Love. You gave me what I’ve never had, what I’ve always longed for.” Pretending not to hear the almost silent sob Erik was making, Charles pushed him away just far enough to give him a long, meaningful kiss. Then, holding Erik’s face with his hands, Charles pressed his forehead against the German’s and looked right into that forest-colored eyes as he finished his sentences. “You gave me family, Erik, a home, love, someone to rely on. And that meant more to me than anything I could ever have.”

“Mein gott. What did I do to deserve you, Schatzi,” was all Erik managed to answer.

 

 

And if at the end of that day, they showed up late to Raven’s party, no one seemed to mind. Though Erik couldn’t tell exactly whether it was because of Charles’ persuasive skills or rather the faint kiss marks not so well-hidden behind both their scarves.


	9. January 1 (Day 8)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 8th day of Christmas and the aftereffect of New Year's Eve Party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!  
> Hope you're all having a great time.

Thanks to Raven’s ability to arrange an awesome dinner party as well as keep the alcohol flowing all throughout the night, by the time Charles and Erik made it home from her place, new year had officially started for more than just a couple of hours, and by the time they finally regained enough brain function to actually get out of bed, they had missed both breakfast and lunch.

 

 

“Happy New Year, Liebling.” Erik whispered assoft as he possibly could while Charles tried his best to shy away from even the smallest ray of light present in their bedroom, making Erik chuckle.

Though their ages didn’t have much effect on their alcohol tolerance level, it certainly did affect their hangover. When they first met, it wouldn’t matter if they keep on pouring more and more Scotch until dawn break or got completely wasted at a party, all they would suffer the next morning—when they would still wake up in time for the day’s schedule—would be a mild headache that are likely to go away after some Tylenols and a lot of water. These days, even if they slept the next day away, a few more hours of lying around doing completely nothing would still be needed or else they would surely hit the floor just trying to get out of bed.

“Happy New Year to you too, Love.” Charles answered, slowly pulling himself up until he was leaning against the headboard then reached for the pills and the glass of water Erik handed him. “For once in my life, I swear to you, I’m glad I don’t have to try to stand up. Since I’m surely going to fail and most probably be kissing the floor the first second I even attempt to.”

“Don’t be such a drama queen, Charles. It’s only 2PM and since our only appointment for today is at 7, you could stay here in bed, and even have another round of sleep, all the way until 6. I’ve set the alarm clock for that. So, unless you’re hungry or need to use the bathroom, come here.” Erik lightly pressed his lips on Charles’ before gesturing the ruffle-haired man to move closer to him. “Judging from that look on your face, you could do with some more sleep, Schatz. Go ahead, sleep away.”

With his curiosity piqued up by Erik’s mention of their appointment, for one small second Charles actually considered staying awake and find out what their schedule was for the day, but even the simple act of thinking was enough to make him flinch with headache already, so he decided against it. Snuggling himself closer to the German, Charles rested his head on Erik’s shoulder, his face in the crook of the older man’s neck and with the familiar scent of his lover and the low hum of the man’s breath wrapped like a cocoon around him, he fell back to sleep.

 

 

“Hey.” A little over three hours later, Charles woke up to find his head on Erik’s lap and the older man sitting up against the headboard with a book in his hand.

“Hey yourself, Charles. How are you feeling?” Erik asked as he put his book down and ran his fingers through his lover’s bedhead gently.

“Better. Forming a sentence doesn’t give me migraine anymore, so I would say I’m good now.” Charles said dryly. He turned to bury his face on Erik’s stomach, before complaining. “Why is it that you always ended up in better shape than me? I swear you were as trashed as I was last night.”

“Out of the two of us, I’m not the one who has to keep my shield up less every soul on this side of the country got drunk along with me, Liebling. That, plus shielding away everybody’s excitement during countdown must have been more than enough to drain you, with or without the alcohol.” Erik reasoned.

“Well, I guess you’re quite right about that.” Charles nodded. “Anyway, now that I can think properly again, do I get to know what appointment do we have tonight, or is it a secret?”

“Always so curious you are, Liebling. All I’m telling you is we’re going to the city for a play, but maybe that would be more than enough for you to figure out what’s your surprise tonight.” Erik answered as he floated their tuxedo out of the closet by their metal buttons. “Now if you’re sure you could move without causing a catastrophe, would you mind getting dress? I don’t want us to be late.”

Without having to look at a mirror, Charles was certain his eyes must have been as big as a saucer. He had always been a big fan of theatrical plays of all kind, with musical at the top of his list, which was the reason why he knew there were only two plays going on right now. The fact that one of those was his all-time favorite, as well as the first musical he had ever seen, didn’t help calm him down very much. Luckily enough for him, Erik had chosen his clothes for him already. Charles’ sense of fashion may have improved with his years as the headmaster, but his ability to maintain it when excitement hit still got a long way to go.

 

 

 

 

Hours later, in the same limousine that picked them up from their place earlier, with his head rested against Erik’s shoulder and his hand on the other man’s tight, Charles was glowing with happiness.

“I couldn’t believe you booked us Phantom of the Opera on New Year’s night, Erik! What did I do to deserve you again?” Charles murmured, the tail of his eyes still damped and the tip of his nose a lovely shade of pink. If anyone were to say he was so touched by Erik’s gift that he cried, he would certainly deny it saying that he was simply moved by the play.

“Oh trust me, Liebling, I should be the one to ask that and not the other way around.” Erik smiled back, using his thumb to wipe of the faint trail wetness left on his lover’s cheeks. “Anyway, I’m glad you like it.”

“But how did you know it’s my favorite play, Love? I’m pretty sure I’ve only been to the play twice since the school was opened, once with you and once with Raven.” Charles’ brows creased a little as he tried to recall whether he did tell Erik about it before.

“You’re right, Schatzi. But we also went to see the movie, and you told me the older version of it was the very first movie you’ve ever watched in the theatre.” Erik laced his fingers with Charles’ as he continued. “That film was out in the early 40’s, so I assumed you must have gone with your parents…”

“So you think it’d be my favorite?” Charles’ voice suggested that the answer was not what he expected and Erik, being who he always was, jumped directly to the worst conclusion.

“Verdammt, did I just ruin our good moments?” Frustration colored Erik’s words thickly as he silently cursed himself for mentioning Charles’ parents. It wasn’t like Brian and Sharon was a prohibited subject between them, more like something they don’t often talk about. He never really thought about whether it was simply because, like how it was for himself, the thought of his long-lost parents made Charles sad, or whether it simply was because Charles didn’t like to be reminded about them. Judging from what he heard about Sharon from Raven, now that he put his mind to it, he wouldn’t be surprise if it was more of the latter.

“Oh, haven’t all these years living with me taught you anything about not jumping to your own conclusion, Darling?” Charles chuckled, causing a soft sigh of relieve from his lover. “I was just surprised by how you noticed it, that’s all, Love. With all that Raven had said about my Mother, most people would have expected me to hate her, or at the very least not love her.”

“They were your family, Schatz, it wouldn’t matter if they were nice or not. The fact that your father’s death turned your mother into an alcoholic make it all the more understandable why you would treasure any memory you have prior to that, isn’t it?” Leave it to Erik to understand the important of memories; together with the urge for revenge fired up by it, they were the reasons he survived through all the hardship in his life up to the point he met, and unintentionally, fell head-over-heel for the blue-eyed man currently leaning against him. After that, though, the reason was solely Charles.

“That’s.. very touching, Love, both your understanding and your thought.” Charles stuttered out, his wide smile impossible to hide. “First day of the year and you made it the best for me already, Erik. The girls will surely go crazy when I tell them this.”

The last sentence made Erik rolled his eyes. Who would believe this lovely professor-and-ex-headmaster’s favorite pass time would be gossiping about his partner, and to his female students on top of everything else?

 

 

“Don’t think I don’t know you intentionally think that loud enough for me to hear you, Erik.”

 

 


	10. January 2 (Day 9)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 9th day of Christmas and Erik is freaking out a bit.

**January 2 (Day 9)**

Since he had given up being Magneto, Erik had taken pleasure in what one might call being domestic. It wasn’t just about having less pressure and carrying less burden, but also the way it made him feel—after spending most of his life in a base of some kind—like he was finally home. And while many of the changes, though willingly done, had been quite a challenge for him, the easiest one had been to stop thinking ahead of Charles, his plan, his next move, and his most likely reaction.

After years of training himself to predict Charles’ strategy all the time, it should have been hard to stop doing so, especially when a part of Charles’ mind had been fixated to his and he could catch Charles’ surface thoughts every once in a while. Surprisingly, it took only a handful of days before the old habit got toned down to a domestic level. That is, as far as domestic level could go for a couple of Omega level mutant, at least.

On any given day, Erik was beyond the word fine by it.

But today was another story.

With Charles’ theme for all the presents being the significant parts of their timelines, Erik had been able to guess what each day’s gift would most likely represent before he actually see it. But with the watch Charles gave him the other day representing the time they were apart, Erik had completely no idea of what to expect next. It could be for when he decided to finally took his helmet off, or when he tried projecting his apologize to Charles from the other side of the country, or maybe when he failed to sneak into the mansion without anyone but Charles noticing. None of that was a particularly bad memory for him, not even when he got caught by a seven-year-old girl with night vision. What got him nervous was not the specific moment the gift would represent, but the emotion it would likely be carrying.

If he were to admit it, which he would rather not, one could say he was scared.

He was scared the moment there were no barrier between his mind and Charles’. He was scared the moment he felt the other man’s power for the first time in years. And, while he would never let anyone know this, not even Charles, he was practically shaking when he walked through the gate of the Xavier’s property, which was exactly why he went for walking instead of levitating himself in.

The worst part of it was how, unlike the death of his mother and Shaw’s experiments, these fears didn’t come laced with rage, making it even harder for him to deal with. And with him being the worst person in the world when it comes to emotions, he didn’t want to be reminded about it, especially when what led to it was the things he wanted the most to go back and undone.

 

 

“Erik, Love, I’m sure you are not intentionally projecting it, but could you please try to be a little less nervous? I promise you today’s present won’t make you feel the least bit uncomfortable, my dear. But right now you’re giving me a migraine.” After an hour or so of resting against each other in front of the fireplace with books in their hands, finally Charles gave up. He thought he would just let Erik deal with his emotion by himself like he always does. It had been how he shows his respect to Erik’s privacy, but at the moment the older man’s emotion was flooding over him even with his shield up.

“I’m sorry, Charles.” Erik apologized guiltily. “I’ll go grab some water. Would you like me to make you some tea?”

“I’m good, Dear.” Charles replied with a smile. Though it disturbed him how stressed out Erik had been about the present, he had also been waiting for Erik to leave the room for one reason or another and he would take the opportunity to prepare his surprise.

 

 

Walking back into their studies, Erik didn’t expect to see what he did. A bottle of wine suspended by an ice bucket floating rather unstably toward him, along with it was Charles’ cheerful voice.

“More tea, Vicar?”

Before Charles managed to tip the ice bucket over, Erik took back the control over his power and landed it safely with a small chuckle.

“Not that I mind you using my power, Liebling, but could you at least use it properly?” Erik mocked. He had long become more than comfortable with Charles taking enough control over his mind to use his power, but much to Erik’s amusement, even after so much time spent practicing it, the younger man never seemed to grasp the ability to keep things in the air for long. “By the way, wine? Really?”

“Oh, no, not just wine, Love. That’s champagne. Or to be more precise, since this bottle surely deserves that, it’s a Moët et Chandon Dom Perignon OENOTHÈQUE 1992.” Charles took the champagne flute from Erik’s hand and gestured for the other man to open the bottle. “Commemorating my lover’s homecoming, don’t think I’d get any better excuse to open the best bottle of champagne in my collection. Don’t you agree, Dear?”

“You’re absolutely right, Schatzi.” As tempted as he was to say _there soon will be_ , Erik bit the inside of his cheek and hold back his tongue. He had planned a big surprise for Charles, and he intended to keep it as secret as a man could be toward his telepathic lover.

Erik laughed at himself softly as he poured the champagne for both Charles and himself. He had forgotten completely the fact that, being both an omega level telepath and his lover of decades, Charles would know exactly what would trouble him. With an arm wrapped tightly on the younger man’s shoulder, he gave themselves a toast that brighten his lover’s smile as well as added more color to the younger man’s cheek.

 

 

“To the best thing happened in my life.”

“And the best in mine.”


	11. January 3 (Day 10)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 10th day of Christmas and retirement is starting to bore Charles out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally planned to post all the chapters on their designated days, but I've been sick for the past few days and just couldn't look at the screen without feeling like my eyes are going to explode.   
> I'm feeling a little bit better now, so I'll do a double-posting today and the last chapter will be post tomorrow.  
> Sorry!

“Now you have to tell me how you get the ice bucket and the champagne into the studies last night, Charles. I was in the kitchen for no more than 5 minutes.” The question was in Erik’s head since he first saw the bucket itself, but he got too carried away by the taste of the champagne, made even more pleasant right out of the younger man’s mouth.

“You’ve got your trick, I’ve got mine.” Charles answered with a wink and something close to giggles that made Erik’s heart skip a beat. “You see, surprising your lover gets a lot easier when both your brother-in-law and your nephew could teleport.”

“Oh. And Azazel agreed to follow your order? Just to surprise me?” There were both amusement and worry hidden behind Erik’s words. Azazel was certainly not a bad man, a great comrade he was to be precise, but years of war and hardship had taught him not to let anybody overrule him unless strictly necessary, which means either he was being out of his character, or Charles had made a deal with him. If the latter was the case, Erik wasn’t so sure he would like how things would turn out to be.

“Don’t worry, darling. As dangerous and tricky as he can be, we both know how head-over-heel he always is about Raven. And since I happened to be, and here I quote her, _her dear brother_ , there’s only so much he won’t do for me. Not like I normally ask favor from him, though.” Charles’ answer got a burst of laughter from the older man.

 

 

“You’re being rather restless today, Liebling. What’s wrong?” It was only an hour after their brunch, and even after a big mug of tea, Charles still didn’t look like he was enjoying himself.

“We haven’t been doing anything for days, Erik. I’m getting bored.” If anyone in the world could have worked as a headmaster for the most part of his life, had two doctoral degrees and wrote uncountable amounts of academic articles, columns and books, yet still managed to whine like a five-year-old, it could only be Charles.

“We went to a gala dinner, a New Year party and a musical all in less than a week, Charles. I don’t think that sounds like _nothing_ to most people.” Erik rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

“I know, Love. They were all perfect and I had great times, but that doesn’t change the fact that, compare to what our lives used to be, we’ve been doing nothing.” Charles continued as he reached to steal Erik’s cup of tea. “You know what I’m talking about.”

To that, Erik could only gave an understandingly nod.

 

 

The school and all the lives it contained had always been keeping them busy. There were always classes to teach, lessons to prepare, papers to sort out, phone calls to make, mails to write, and tests to grades. Even with the headmaster’s work divided between the two of them, it was not uncommon to skip lunch or continue working until well passed dinner. And whether it was the small gap of free time they’ve got in their schedules or the weird hours of their day-off, with hundreds of children living under their roof and practically treating them like their own parents, at least one of them would need them for something or another.

Some of them with questions about the lessons, the world, or just life in general, some with injuries or sickness that needed to be tended to, some with worries and fears they couldn’t keep to themselves any longer,and some, the most heartbreaking of both Charles and Erik, were with haunted nightmares and memories that woke them up in the middle of the night or threw them off their feet in the middle of the day.

Doing the best they could to make sure everybody felt safe and loved and cared for, the door to the headmaster’s office was never closed unless there was a meeting going on. And in that case, as well as anytime beyond office hours, all the children would have to do is call for them, and either Charles or Erik will be there.

It was a time-and-energy consuming job that left them with barely any private time, and despite the fact that they have been able to turn their dreams into reality and created a safe haven for mutants to grow, learn, and be a family, Erik must admit that it was exhausting. Who would have thought running a school could drain your energy more than being a megalomaniac leading an army aiming to wipe out half of the world’s population?

On top of that, every single one of them, children and staff, were trained to reach out to Charles with their mind, and anyone too young for that, Charles would keep a tab on their mind as he goes about with his day. This meant Charles practically never stop working. His power and his brain’s capability to take multitasking to a superhuman level—something Erik always believe to be his lover’s secondary mutation if not first—had even allowed him to do three or four works at a time, which was why Erik wasn’t so surprised to hear the younger man’s complain.

 

 

“Do you think I could ask Ororo to make the snow stop so we can go out somewhere?” Sprawling on top of their faux fur rug with Erik sitting within an arm’s reach, Charles blurted out randomly.

“Only if you want to disturb her vocation, Schatz. And even as powerful as she is, I’m not sure if she could do that from the other side of the world.” Erik answered, one of his hands running a soothing line along the younger man’s shoulder. The level of boredom had increased to the point that Erik could feel Charles stressed out, making him wonder how many people in the world could possibly be stressful about having too much free time during holidays.

“You were the one always on the run, Erik. You should understand.” Charles bickered.

“Perhaps I’ve ran so long I have none of the urge left?” Erik lifted a brow, pleased of himself when a smile bloomed up on his lover’s face. “Now if you’re so bored, how does a game of chess sounds?”

“Sure!”

 

 

“What are you trying to do, Erik?” Charles asked as he was wheeled into what supposed to be their library with a scarf tied over his eyes as a make-shift blindfold.

“I planned to give you today’s present later on in the night, but judging by how bored you look, without something to do you’d most likely exploded by then, so I decided to give it to you now instead.” Erik pushed Charles’ chair toward his regular place and then gently undo the scarf’s knot.

As soon as the scarf fell off his eyes, Charles let out a gasp. In front of him was an elegantly looking wooden chess set. Each of its pieces with round base and on top of that varieties of curves building upon each other to form the character of the piece, and every square on the board—as well as all four sides of it—was carved with elaborated details. Light from the window shone through the carved pieces making them look even more delicate and elegant. As it was, he could say for certain it was already one of the most beautiful and unique chess set he had ever seen. The fact that Erik made it, which Charles knew simply because only Erik would be able to place a shining silver of metal along every curve of wood like that, only ensure its place at the very top of his list.

“How did you get a set this striking done in three months, Erik?!” Charles could hear the surprise in his voice as it etched his tone up a little higher than usual. Running his finger along the curves of the pieces, he gaped in awe at how smooth they were, as if the metal had blended itself into the fiber of the wood. “And if I’m guessing it right, I believe you made the design yourself, too, isn’t it?”

“Anything you still don’t know about me, Liebling?” Erik laughed, half at how taken aback his lover looked with his baby blue eyes almost as big as a saucer and half simply because making Charles happy always lifted up his mood.

“How you made this in such a short time, for one, Love.” Charles answered with most of his attention still at the chess set.

“I have been thinking about it for sometimes already. Got most of the design done in my head and all. So when you asked for 6 presents this Christmas, I decided to finish it now instead of on your next birthday like I originally planned.” As the questioning look on his lover’s face still present, Erik explained further. “Woodwork doesn’t take that much time when you can use 3-4 tools at a time and still got a free hand, Liebling. Took me only about a day to get them all down to their vague shapes. The details took a lot more time than that, surely, but since I can move the tools freely, I believe it was much easier for me than it looks.”

“You and your power, Love. Have I ever told you how sexy that is? Remind me again, what did I do to be allowed to have this?” Charles let out the closet sound to giggles—no, he would never ever admit to be giggling at Erik, especially not at this age.

“Why thank you. And as an answer for that, you gave me a home, a family, even after I’ve failed you way too many times to count.” Pulling Charles’ hand closer to him, Erik gave it a firm kiss, as if to confirm the truth in his words. “And your love, on top of everything else. That, alone, is more than enough, you fool.”

 

 

 

“I’m glad we’ve grown into two old fools together, Darling.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This is the chessboard that inspired me. https://catwcraft.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/woodworking/


	12. January 4 (Day 11)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 11th day of Christmas and a recollection of their memories.

To Erik’s surprise, he woke up to find himself alone in bed. Reaching out with his power to feel the hands of the clock only at ten past six, Erik’s instinct snapped into its ready-to-fight mode and his power swept through the whole perimeter of the Xavier’s property instantly. Even when he felt the metal of Charles’ wheelchair in the kitchen, Erik still needed to recheck for the metal bracelet on the younger man’s wrist, just to make sure he was really there.

_I’m sorry I woke you, Love. I just needed a glass of water. Now take a deep breath and stop giving yourself a semi heart attack._

Hearing Charles’ apologetic voice in his head allowed Erik to calm down enough for him to lean back against the headboard, let out a long sigh and begins to relax. It had taken him very long time—even with Charles by his side— to really be able to have deep, long sleeps. He would wake up at the slightest noise or movement, his power reaching out for whatever metal there was in the area, getting ready to fight. And while his mind had managed to finally catch up with the fact that his presence life was a peaceful, safe one, the first few seconds right after he woke up, Erik’s instinct still win over his logical side. _Old Habits_ was how Charles called it, and that, was probably true.

Erik was about to ask his telepath whether he would be coming back for more sleep when he spotted an A3-size sketch book lying next to Charles’ bed lamp.

_Is this for me?_

_Definitely so, Darling._

“Look inside. They are all very beautiful.” Charles continued his sentence out loud as he wheeled himself into the bedroom.

Erik did what he was told and on the first page, he found a colored portrait of himself—tousled hair, slightly flushed and much younger than now—looking right back. Behind him was what seemed like a motel room with its cheap wallpaper and stained carpet that looked like they were long past their times. No doubt it was from one of their nights during the road trips.

“That’s the first night we shared our bed.” Charles explained simply.

Paying more attention to the details, Erik found his portrayed-self with red and swollen lips, his pupils dilated so much only a thin ring of ocean-green were visible, and his expression seemed to be screaming with wants and needs. “That was how I look at you?”

“That is how you _always_ look at me, Darling.” Charles answered as he transferred himself back on to the bed and edged closer to the older man.

“No wonder Raven hates us.” Erik huffed, moving closer to rest one of his arms on Charles shoulder as he flipped through the pages.

 

 

The next page was of the two of them right in front of the mansion, with a large sign above their heads saying ‘The Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters’ 10 Anniversary Party’. It was almost the same picture as the one that ended up on the school’s monthly newsletter, but with a slightly different angle, the happiness in Charles’ eyes even brighter than Erik remembered of that day.

Then there was one of him, holding minutes-old Kurt close to his chest, Charles right by his side holding Raven’s hand as the girl gave them a tired smile. On the other side of the bed was Azazel with a face-splitting smile that Erik was certain could win over his own at being scary. A moment of pure joy perfectly captured.

“I asked a friend of mine to draw these for me. I know we have all the photo albums, but you know they never feel real to me.” Charles said as he looked down at the new page. “These ones, though, they aren’t just captured picture, but memories, literally, expressed in pictures. The closest, I believe, to the memories itself.”

 

 

A few pages later was the two of them soaking wet. Erik with his hair carelessly tossed up and his face red with anger and Charles with his floppy hair now flat like a wet dog’s fur, looking even smaller with his soaked tweed suit holding him down. Even as a watercolor picture, the lust surrounding the two of them was beyond the word palpable.

“Could you believe we looked that bad in Raven’s eyes?”

“You took this from her memories, then?” Erik asked. All he could remember of that night in the Miami sea was Charles’ voice telling him he was not alone, the warm arms clinging tightly to his torso, and how delicious the other man looked, even when he looked like he just came out of a fight with a shark. “If I weren’t so angry at losing Shaw again, I would have jumped at you right that second.”

“Yes, I did. And thank you for not doing that, Love. I’m sure Raven would never forgive us if you did.”

 

 

As the pages turned, there was a picture of Erik lecturing with 3-year-old Ororo on his laps, another one of them—as Gandalf and Jean-Luc Picard—kissing at a Halloween, another of them playing chess in front of Lincoln’s monument again with the sexual tension between them almost palpable, and also one of Erik leaning against the door frame of Charles’ office with a cup of tea in his hand waiting for his lover to finish the day’s work. There was even a picture showing only their backs as they walked out of a bar. The way their body inclined towards each other made Logan’s words sounded more like an advice than a curse.Over forty pictures of their memories from various points of view collected in one small sketch book.

 

 

“I can’t believe you let someone draw that, Charles!” Erik let out a choked voice as he looked at the picture of what he believe to be the scariest he had ever looked.

“Oh why would I not? Didn’t I tell you you’ve never looked more beautiful, Darling?” Charles laughed, yet there was sadness hidden behind it. “This is what I projected to Angel, though. Sadly I couldn’t get it directly from her memory.”

“She’s made her choice, Liebling. And at least we know she’s living a good life.”

When Erik decided to walk out of the Brotherhood, Raven and Azazel came with him while Frost got on her way leaving the rest of them scattered all over the places. Charles had offered every single one of them the chance to join his school, either as a student, a staff, or even just as a resident, but while many had stayed, Angel didn’t. She moved to San Francisco and started her own designing business. Some of the kids said she must have longed for a normal lifestyle, but Erik and Charles knew better than that.

“It’s just sad, Erik. We would welcome her back no matter what, and she knew that.” The light in Charles’ eyes faded a bit as he talked.

“And we know her reason, Charles. Let me tell you, starting over somewhere all by yourself is nowhere near as frightening as going back to the people you’ve failed, betrayed, and hurt.” Erik nuzzled his nose on the dark curls of his lover’s bedhead. “The knowledge that you’d still be as welcome and as loved as you have always been does nothing but worsen the pain, Schatz. Coming back wasn’t an easy thing to do.”

Charles wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist, leaning in to place his head on the German’s chest, listening to the steady beats of his heart. “I’m glad you did.”

“The best decision I’ve ever made, Schatzi.”


	13. January 5 (Day 12)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 12th day of Christmas and they are spending it away from home.

“I thought I won’t be seeing any sunlight until spring.” Charles let out a sigh of contentment as they strolled along the beach—or more like as Erik strolled the beach and levitated his wheelchair along—gaining a soft smile from the taller man.

 

 

Erik had put him in Blackbird earlier that morning saying he’s got a solution for Charles’ cottage flu and had then fly them to an isolated beach island, which Charles suspected was once the Brotherhood’s hideaway. It was magnificent. Its beach filled with white, pure sand, tall palm trees swinging along with the tropical breeze, the waves calm and peaceful yet its sound audible due to the lack of other human in the perimeter. The sky was the shade of blue Charles hadn’t seen since last summer and the sun shone refreshingly bright above them. It was exactly what he needed.

They had had their brunch on the beach from the picnic basket Erik prepared, lied around enjoying the warm sunlight bathing over and gave a little more color to their skins, then edged themselves close enough to the ocean to feel the soft curls of the wave brushing without really getting into the water.

 

 

“A penny for your thoughts?” Charles asked as Erik stared out towards the ocean silently.

“Nothing important. I just found it funny how the ocean could be so cold that night we first met, yet so warm now.” Erik answered, his hand grazing absent-mindedly at the wet sand as they got hit again and again by the warm waves.

“Not a word about that, Erik. You were in a body suit! Ones that came with temperature controlling function even!” Charles scolded back with a laugh. How stupid must he have looked jumping right off a boat into the cold Miami Sea with all those clothes of his. “If I knew that would have been the last time I got to swim in the ocean, I’d have worn something more appropriate.”

“And what do you mean exactly by _more appropriate?_ ”

“Well, not like I’ve really given it any serious thought before. You see, I haven’t been that much a fan of swimming in the ocean to start with. I’d rather sit and read on the beach like we do now. But maybe something like a T-shirt and a part of shorts, I guess?” Charles’ answer caused a huffed laugh from his lover and he could tell without peaking that Erik was imagining his younger self in such attire surrounded by CIA agents and coast guards.

“I’m glad you didn’t, Liebling.” Erik said with a devilish smirk laced in his voice as he reached out to lift his lover up and walked deeper into the ocean. “Now that you’re in the _more appropriate clothes_ , would you care for a dip?”

“This time, I’ll be the one to make sure you won’t drown.”

 

 

After the swim, they showered together, changed their clothes and spent the rest of the day under the tropical sun. When the bright, warm rays of light turned a romantic shade of reddish orange as it slowly sink towards the horizon, they watched it hands in hands each of them trying to take in as much of the beautiful scene as possible. They had been to various parts of the world together, for business and private purposes, and had seen a great number of to-die-for scenery; but it was never enough. They had wasted so many years fighting against each other and had felt so many lost that no amount of good time could ever make up for. What it does, though, was reminding them how lucky they were to still have each other by their side after all these times.

And Charles was about to thanked Erik for a great day, an awesome reminder of and yet another precious memory as his last gift, which was the exact reason why he was taken completely by surprise when Erik dropped to his knees in front of the wheelchair, planted a firm kiss on his left hand and started speaking.

“Charles, I know we have been together for decades and you’d most probably be calling me an old, sentimental fool in your head right now. But let me tell you this. You are the most important thing in my life, Liebling. You taught me how to control my power, how to silent my nightmares, how to settle down, how to love, how to hope. You care for me even when we were against each other. You took me in after all I’ve done, allowed me to help you create a family, and love me the way no one else ever would. You’re hot-headed, childish, workaholic and arrogant, but also passionate, strong, kind, and full of hope. Everything more that I could ever deserve. So I ask you now, Charles Francis Xavier, will you marry me?”

With that, a small band of ring floated up in front of Charles. Through his teary eyes, he could see its woven pattern made out of three different metal twisted together like ropes. If the speech, the idea of Erik actually proposing to him, and the moment itself wasn’t enough to make him cry, the thought he caught from Erik’s mind about the ring certainly did.

“Adamenthium, rhodium, and gold. The strongest, the priciest, and the most malleable. Oh, Erik.” Charles pinched the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to stop his tear from falling. When they had legalized same-sex marriage, he had celebrated on the behalf of all the young couples and those still too scared to come out of the closet, but since he had never thought of it as something for himself and Erik. Not that he opposed the idea of getting married itself, to be exact, he would be more than willing to go down the aisle if it’s Erik who’s waiting at the altar. He just thought Erik would find the proposal, the wedding itself and all the other details of it too much of a bother, especially when they had been living like married couple for ages anyway.

“Come on, Liebling. I told you Raven told me you’re once a hopeless romantic, didn’t I? This kind of thing doesn’t change easily, I believe.” Erik couldn’t help but tightened his grip on the other man’s hand as the nervousness he had been trying to hide for the whole day started to creep up his spine. “So?”

“Yes, Love. Definitely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I now Charles and Erik in this story had been seriously out of character, but I thought if Erik had come home and they were to spent more than half of their life together, they would have turned out to be quite different from the Charles and Erik we knew.  
> Let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> My Christmas project is here! I've got the list of gifts written down, but if anyone got a suggest, it's more than welcome!


End file.
